by Barbara Goss
“Maybe so, but it will serve two purposes: it will distract me from missing Catherine, and it will keep my mind off losing her.”
“Father won’t like you leaving. Neither will Harley. For that matter, I don’t like it either.”
Max leaned against the porch railing. “Harley will be leaving home soon himself. Once he marries Rebecca, he’ll be living in Brownsville.”
“All the more reason Father and I will want you to stay here,” Jake said.
“Even if you know I’ll be eating my heart out?”
“You’ll get over it, Max.”
Max stepped off the porch. He didn’t want to continue the conversation.
“I’m going to the barbershop for a haircut. Tell, Father I’ll be home in time for supper.” Max wasted no time saddling his horse and riding away, leaving his brother in a cloud of dust.
Max made an announcement at supper that night: “I found an ad in a newspaper that I found in the barbershop, and I’m going to answer it. A young woman in Oregon needs a husband who’s a horse breeder.”
“What?” his father, Adam Winters, asked loudly. “You don’t know a thing about horse breeding.”
“And you aren’t really going to marry a woman you’ve never met, are you?” Harley asked.
“I am. I love Catherine, so there's no sense in marrying for love. I'll marry for the chance to relocate and to find a new life instead. All this woman has to be is personable.”
“Personable?” Jake asked. “What if she has a face like a mongrel and a shape like a balloon?”
“As long as she’s pleasant and willing to have me, I’ll marry her.” Max helped himself to another serving of roast beef. “As far as horse breeding goes, how hard can it be? I know all about nature and procreation—I just put a male with a female and that’s horse breeding.”
His father laughed. “You go on to Oregon, son. I’ll keep your room ready for when you high-tail it back home. If you’re back before the end of summer, you can go on our yearly cattle drive with us.”
“It’s not final, Father,” Max explained. “I have to write to the woman and be accepted first. I’m sure she's getting many responses from her ad. I’ll have to make my letter very convincing.”
“How will you get to Oregon, should she choose you?” Harley asked.
“I haven’t figured that part out yet,” Max said. “The fastest way I can, I suppose.”
Max received his first letter from Mrs. Laura Bennett of Silverpines, Oregon. She was recently widowed and had a four-year-old daughter. Max liked the idea of being a horse breeder and even the idea of being a husband, but he wasn’t sure he was father material. He’d always assumed that when he became a father he’d have been the one to have created the child. Could he love another man’s child? More importantly, would he have a good marriage if he wasn’t in love with his wife?
These thoughts plagued Max throughout the days leading up to his hearing from the woman in Oregon again, but they didn’t deter his plans. He was shocked when he received Mrs. Bennett's acceptance letter. Max hoped she wasn’t too uncomely; he would, after all, have to share a bed with her. Thoughts like that almost had him canceling the whole plan. One minute he was anxious to set off, and the next he felt a heaviness in the pit of his stomach. He wasn’t sure if it was due to the unfamiliarity of the situation or the fear of the unknown.
He also regretted that he’d deceived his future bride, having told her he knew all about horse breeding. He knew about cattle, but he knew nothing about breeding horses. How much different could it be? She’d also told him she required a Christian man; he’d been to church a few times—didn’t that count? He’d make it up to her by being a devoted husband. He’d have to learn how to be a great horse breeder, as well.
His bride-to-be had seemed anxious for him to arrive, so he changed his previous plans to go by ship and bought a train ticket to Astoria, Oregon. Besides being faster, it would also be safer—the man at the shipping office had said that this time of year, ships had to fight wind and currents which could cause substantial delays and danger.
Max disembarked the train in Astoria, collected his luggage, and waited for the train to take him to Silverpines. The station manager told him he was fortunate because the train would be the first to run to Silverpines and beyond since April, when the tracks had been damaged by the quake.
It was during the two-hour train ride to Silverpines that his palms became sweaty and he imagined the worst outcome possible, but it was too late to back out. He’d have to accept this Laura Bennett, no matter what. He supposed he could always fake homesickness and escape if she were unpleasant or unbearable to look at, and the thought made him feel a bit more at ease.
He was amazed at the scenery as they entered the vicinity of Silverpines: collapsed buildings, fallen trees, damaged houses—he was amazed anyone had survived the quake. Laura had written to him about it, but Max could have never imagined what his eyes were seeing.
He climbed down the steps of the train and made his way to the mercantile where he purchased a few toiletries. After paying for his purchases, he asked the clerk where he might find the White Oaks Ranch.
“It’s a ways out of town. You’ll need a horse or buggy to get there.” She pulled out a piece of paper. “I’ll draw you a map with directions. Are you new in town?”
“Yes, I am,” Max replied. He knew the clerk was expecting more information but that was all he felt free to say.
“Here you are.” She handed him the rough sketch. “The livery is on Fifth Street and Adams Avenue. Turn left when you step out the door and then turn right and go straight. You can’t miss it.”
Max took the paper, folded it, and placed it in his pocket. “Thank you kindly, ma’am.”
He found the livery, went inside, and rented a horse. Laura had instructed him to send her a wire when he'd arrived in Astoria and she’d send her ranch hand to meet him, but he preferred to ride in himself, on the chance he'd have to make a hasty exit.
He galloped away from the quaint, unusually quiet town. There were few homes on the road which seemed to go on forever, and he began to wonder if he’d missed the ranch. So far, all the homes had been small farms—Laura had told him White Oaks Ranch was large.
Max rode on until he saw a small lane running off the main road. As he got closer, he was able to read the sign over the lane that read: "White Oaks Ranch". He turned and proceeded under the sign and down the tree-lined lane. Max rounded a curve in the path, and there it was: a large two-story home and the largest stable he’d ever seen. He slowed his pace so he could soak in the view.
The house was wooden, painted white with red brick trim. The large porch was adorned with several padded rocking chairs and a table, placed carefully to give the house a homey look. Drapes hung neatly in the windows. There was a red barn on the far left. The stables, also painted red, stood between the barn and the house. He could see a small portion of a large corral behind the stables. Surrounded on three sides by beautiful trees, it was quite a sight. Unlike Texas, everything in Oregon seemed so green.
So far, Max was impressed. He slid off his horse, tied it to the hitching post in front of the house, walked slowly to the porch, and climbed the steps. This was it. He wondered if he'd end up staying.
He was poised to knock when the door swung open, and he saw a woman gaping at him with her mouth open. She was pretty. Dare he hope she was Laura? Her hair was long and auburn. He couldn’t tell her eye color as the sun was shining on her face. Max hoped with all his might the woman was Laura.
Laura realized her mouth was hanging open and quickly snapped it shut. A most handsome man was standing at her front door. Who could he be?
When their eyes met, she felt something stir within her. He had the most expressive blue eyes that seemed to twinkle when he smiled. His dark hair came to just below his ears, and he had a muscular physique. She realized they were both standing there staring at one another, and she spoke quickly.
“Can I help you, sir?”
The man fondled the hat he was holding in his hands. “Why, yes. I’m Maxwell Winters, and I believe I’m expected.”
Once again, she felt her mouth drop, and she stared for several long seconds.
“Do come in, Mr. Winters.” She held the door wide for him to enter. “I’m Laura Bennett.”
When he was in the foyer, he looked even taller than he had on the porch, if that were possible. So this was her intended. She was more than pleased. Laura hoped and prayed with all her might he’d be personable and as pleased with her as she was with him.
Laura swallowed the lump in the throat. “Please, have a seat,” she said as she led him into the sitting room. “I was waiting for your message from Astoria. I was going to send Dexter to meet you.”
“I felt like a brisk ride after sitting on the train for so long. It felt so good to be on the ground that I decided to rent a horse.”
Laura sat down beside him and studied him as he spoke. Mr. Winters was wearing a long-sleeved, flannel shirt, black pants, and boots so tall they came to his shins. He was dressed like the pictures she’d seen of cowboys. Even the hat he carried was reminiscent of cowboys: a black, wide-brimmed felt hat with a crease in the center.
“We’ll return the horse after supper. You can have your pick of horses from the stable.”
“Thank you. This is a fine house, Mrs. Bennett.” He set his hat down on the tea table. “Would you like for me to stay at the inn for now? I could court you properly, if you’d like.”
“I really do need a man around the house. I had intended for us to marry shortly after we met. We could wait until we know each other better before we...um…consummate—if that’s all right.”
“I’ve never done this before…but of course, I haven’t,” he added nervously. “What I mean to say is, I don’t know what to do next. I’m all right with marrying…if you are, that is.”
To put him at ease, Laura gave him one of her best smiles; she liked him—a lot. “I’ve never done this before either…well, that is to say…I’ve been married, but my husband and I had known each other for years before, so there was never this sort of awkwardness.” She laughed nervously. “I’d like to marry right away, while the traveling preacher is still in town. He arrived in April when the tragedies hit, and he’s stayed on to work with the grieving. I hear he’s planning to move on very soon."
Mr. Winters nodded. “I’m ready if you are. Could we call each other by our given names then?”
“Yes. You may call me Laura.”
“I prefer Max to Maxwell.”
“All right, Max it is.” Laura stood and motioned for him to follow her. “I’ll show you the house and introduce you to my daughter and my housekeeper who’s like a sister to me.”
Once in the kitchen, she introduced him to Dawn, whose eyes grew wide when she looked up from her pot on the stove to look at him. She gave Laura a smile of total approval. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Max”
Laura prayed Max would have a personality to match his looks. He seemed friendly and soft-spoken, but some people had a tendency to change later in a relationship.
Just as she and Max turned to go up the stairs, they heard a child wail, “Mama!”
“It looks like Carolyn's awake,” she said and led Max up the curving staircase. When they reached the top, Laura headed for the room on the far left. The door was open and Caro was sitting up in bed, clutching her ragdoll, Annabelle.
“Mama!” the child sprang up and ran into her mother’s arms.
“Caro, I want you to meet Max. He’s going to be living here and working with the horses.” Laura watched Caro’s face as she looked up at the tall man. She surprised Laura by giving him a wide smile while still clutching her mama’s skirt.
“Hulo,” she said, looking up at him with tear-filled blue eyes.
Max stooped down to her level. “Hello, Carolyn.”
“You can call me Caro,” she said, wiping the tears from her face. She loosened her hold on Laura’s skirt. “How’d you get so tall?”
“I ate all my vegetables when I was your age.”
She gave him another smile and then looked up at Laura. “I’m hungry.”
“Dawn has a snack ready for you in the kitchen. Will you stay with her while I show Max around the stables?”
Caro grabbed her mother’s skirt tighter. “I wanna come, too.”
“I thought you wanted the snack Dawn has ready for you.”
“I want to stay with you, Mama.”
“All right. Go get your dolly, and you can come, too.” When Caro ran back to the bed for her doll, Laura whispered to Max, “She’s been like that since her father was killed.”
Max winked at Laura and turned to Caro when she returned to her mama with her doll. “You know, I think I’d like a snack too.”
“You can have one with me,” Caro said. “Do you want one too, Mama?”
“Hmm…well, supper isn’t for another three hours, so I suppose we could all have a bit of a snack to hold us over before going outside to show Max around.”
Caro jumped up and down. “Yes! Yes!”
Laura knelt down. “Would you like it if Max lived here with us?”
Caro looked Max over.
Max winked at her.
“He can,” she said, looking back up at Laura.
Chapter 3
Max rode back to town after a delightful supper with Laura, Dawn, and Caro that left him feeling extremely fortunate. Laura was pretty as well as enchanting, and Caro was a charmer. He already felt fond of her. How could he resist that towhead with those huge, watery, blue eyes? He wasn’t sure how Laura would break Caro of clutching to her constantly, but he hoped she’d soon realize her mama was not going to disappear.
Laura had turned out better than he'd expected in every way, and he felt a bit better about the marriage. If they weren't in love, they could surely manage to be friends and partners.
She’d given him a choice of all the horses in the stables, and he’d chosen a black stallion he'd named Hunter after the horse he’d left back in Texas. He rode him back to town and found him extremely well-trained. Max pulled the rented horse behind him and turned in at the livery. Inside, an elderly man worked on tightening a wagon’s wheel.
“Are you the owner?”
“No, I’m just helping out here.” The man stood. “The owner was killed trying to rescue miners during the cave in.”
“That must have been horrible. Do you get many earthquakes here?”
The man wiped his hands on his overalls. “We get a lot of small ones, but that was the biggest that I can remember.”
“I’m returning the horse I rented.” Max handed the man the reins. “Thank you.”
“Any time. I’ll be helping out here until a new owner comes along. Do you know anyone who might be interested?”
“No, sorry. I’m new in town.”
The man smiled. “Welcome. The name’s Walter Myers.” He held out his hand.
“I’m Max Winters.” He shook Walter’s hand. “Do you know much about horses?”
“I guess I know a bit about horses. I've worked here for twenty years, but I retired four years ago. I just came back to keep the livery open for those that still need it. I grew up around horses.”
“I may need some advice soon. Nice meeting you Walter.” Max tipped his hat and left the livery.
Max checked into the inn, found his room, and collapsed on the bed. He’d meant to unpack and change his clothes, but he fell fast asleep nearly as soon as his head hit the pillow.
Somewhere, a rooster crowed. Max opened his eyes to a room filled with daylight. He sprang up and pulled out his watch. Max was supposed to meet Laura at the church at nine a.m. He had only fifteen minutes to wash and dress. They were going to schedule a date for the traveling preacher to marry them. Max didn’t feel nervous about marrying Laura. He had a good feeling about it. She was a lovely woman and more attractive than he’d dar
ed to hope. Her auburn hair looked long, though she'd worn it pulled up in a loose bun, and her waist—he could probably span it with both hands. She was soft-spoken, intelligent, and a good conversationalist. He felt relaxed in her company, and when she smiled at him, her green eyes gleamed, causing his heart to skip a beat—or so it had seemed. The only problem was that he felt guilty having deceived her. When she gave him the tour of the ranch, he could see how much it needed a man. How could he tell her he’d lied about being a horse breeder? He had to tell her before they married—it was the right thing to do. That way, she'd be able to cancel the arrangement if she chose. It seemed the only fair way to handle it. She was too gracious of a woman to not be honest with her.
He suddenly realized that since he'd arrived in Silverpines, he hadn’t thought about Catherine even once. It felt as if he’d stepped out of one life and into another.
It was pouring rain by the time he'd reached the church, and he was relieved to have finally ducked inside. Laura, with Caro clinging to her skirt, introduced Max to Reverend Ambrose Skinner, a tall, thin man with a full beard and mustache. His hairy face covered all but his eyes, his long hair fell over his forehead and down to his shoulders. The Reverend led them to his office where they sat before his desk. He pulled out a ragged notebook. “I’m going to be leaving the day after tomorrow. I’m needed in New Hope, and it’s a good four days ride.”
Max and Laura exchanged looks. When she gave him a nod, Max said, “Tomorrow will work for us.”
“That’s perfect.” Reverend Skinner made a notation in his book. “Will noon do? I have another wedding at ten.”
Laura stood. “That will be fine.”
The rain had stopped by the time they'd left the church, but it was still cloudy and threatening to shower again.
Laura gazed up at him. “Are you nervous, Max?”
